The Senate’s longest-serving Republican said in a statement that there are not enough ballots left to be counted for him to catch up and that Mr. Begich has been elected.

Stevens said he’s deeply grateful for his 40 years of service in the Senate.

The statement was released shortly after Mr. Begich told reporters on Tuesday that he hadn’t heard from Stevens even though he’s been congratulated by other Republicans, including Gov. Sarah Palin.

Stevens, 85, lost his bid for a seventh full term after he was convicted on federal corruption charges. A conservative third-party candidate drew more than 12,000 votes, and may have played a spoiler role in the race.

ST. PAUL, Minn. | A Minnesota judge has granted a request by Democratic Senate candidate Al Franken for the release of information on voters whose absentee ballots were rejected.

Ramsey County Judge Dale Lindman directed the county to produce the data by the close of business Wednesday.

Mr. Franken wants the rosters of disqualified absentee voters in all 87 counties to determine whether they were properly rejected in the counting of ballots for his close race with incumbent Sen. Norm Coleman.

Judge Lindman’s ruling applies only to Ramsey County, the state’s second-largest county and the home of the state Capitol, but it represents a partial victory for Mr. Franken.

CHICAGO | Former President Bill Clinton has agreed to publicly disclose the names of most donors to his presidential foundation and library, a significant concession aimed at helping smooth the path for his wife to become the next secretary of state.

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton was expected to decide soon whether to take the job, which associates said she thinks is hers if she wants it. Transition officials for President-elect Barack Obama said the former first lady had not formally been offered the job, and other candidates have been vetted. But several Clinton associates said Mr. Obama has told her that she is his top pick.

Mr. Clinton’s decision to open his donor list for scrutiny was the former president’s latest effort to lift concerns about any potential conflicts of interest for his wife.

Officials with knowledge of the vetting said the former president would agree to make public the names of all donors who had given at least $250 to the foundation. He has long insisted on keeping the names private, a decision that created controversy for his wife during her run for the Democratic nomination.

Advisers said they were still trying to figure out what to do about donors who had contributed to the foundation on the condition they would remain anonymous. Breaking that agreement with donors could hurt the foundation’s fundraising.

Mr. Clinton has also agreed to other concessions, such as submitting his speeches and public speaking schedule for the State Department to review during the time that his wife serves and alerting officials there about any new sources of income. He also has indicated that he would step away from day-to-day management of his foundation, where he has raised millions from foreign governments and companies to help fight poverty and AIDS in the developing world.

He briefly addressed questions about the vetting process in New York on Wednesday.

“I’ll do whatever they want,” he said at a ceremony renaming the Triborough Bridge for the late Sen. Robert F. Kennedy.

SENATE

Biden’s son rejects appointment to seat

DOVER, Del. | Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden said he plans to fulfill his National Guard duties and won’t accept an appointment to his father’s U.S. Senate seat.

The younger Mr. Biden has released a statement as his unit prepares to deploy to Iraq. Mr. Biden said that he hasn’t sought and wouldn’t accept an appointment to the Senate and that he looks forward to returning to his job as attorney general after his service tour.

Mr. Biden was seen as a possible successor to his father, Democrat Joseph R. Biden Jr., who must resign his Senate seat before being sworn in Jan. 20 as vice president. Delaware’s governor will appoint a new senator.

Speculation on Mr. Biden’s replacement has centered on Lt. Gov. John Carney. He lost the Democratic gubernatorial primary in September to state Treasurer Jack Markell, who is now Delaware’s governor-elect.

POSTAL SERVICE

Stamp planned for Bob Hope

Bob Hope, the beloved entertainer, will be honored on a U.S. postage stamp next spring.

The stamp design will be unveiled Monday at a ceremony on New York’s Ellis Island, the entry spot for thousands of immigrants like Mr. Hope.

Born in England as Leslie Townes Hope, the singer, actor and comedian was a youngster when his parents moved to the U.S. He eventually became one of the nation’s most beloved entertainers and was known for his trademark song “Thanks For The Memory,” which was on the album “Thanks for the Memories.”